Cinnamon & Chocolate
by nightwishspark
Summary: Oneshot Sometimes the clear fall air makes somethings a lot clearer. SquallxZell Yaoi


_(As always I dont own anyone in this fic those exclusive rights belong to squareenix sigh_

_Enjoy this short little one shot and please please please leave a review. Thanks _

**Cinnamon & Chocolate **

The sharp scent of cinnamon filled Squall Leonhart's senses as he placed the cup of hot liquid to his lips and dutifully took a small sip, grimacing a bit as the strong taste filled his mouth. Squall really didn't like the drink much but he had obliged when Zell had pushed the cup of hot apple cider into his hands just before he had gone outside, he had said it would warm him up…and it had, but the brunette had to hold back a shiver every time he took a drink from the still warm cup.

Squall sighed, closed his eyes and took a bigger gulp letting the welcome warmth flow through his body. The fall air was crisp and cool, so much so that he could see his breath start to form a small cloud of mist every time he exhaled. Squall couldn't quiet remember what had brought him out into the fall air, but he guessed it was probably better to simply ignore the creeping feeling in the back of his head.

The brunette never really liked to dwell on the past but there had been just so much on his mind lately that he couldn't ignore the constant nagging. From his duties as a SeeD, to his more than failed relationship with Rinoa _(which had been a huge mistake in the first place)_ to a certain blonde haired martial artist who had been occupying more and more of his thoughts lately… needless to say the list went on and on.

Both stormy blue eyes snapped open as he realized exactly why he had come out here. Zell had been acting odd lately, asking him questions nonstop about everything from his relationship status with Rinoa to his favorite color. Squall knew his blonde friend was naturally curious but he had got the hint that Zell was digging for something, just itching to find something out.

That is what had initially driven him outside but even so, if Zell wanted to find him he knew where to do so…after all he wasn't trying to hide he just needed time to breath…sort things out in his head and figure out just what the blonde boy was up to.

Just as the scarred brunette was about to relax into his thoughts again he heard the faint crunch of leaves come from his right where a nearby tree had dropped its colorful supply all over the ground.

There was no doubt who it was coming towards him. He had probably been out here no longer than an hour and had been expecting Zell to wander his way outside Garden to find him sooner or later. But not only had he been expecting the boys' arrival but he had planned on it.

He slouched a little lower against the tree he'd been siddeled up against and took another sip of cider letting the sour liquid invade his mouth and leave its aftertaste in its wake. The crunches were starting to get louder and Squall finally decided to glance in the direction they were sounding from to alert Zell to his presence.

Squall's assumption had been correct because there Zell was. The boy had apparently come prepared for the colder weather, unlike himself who hadn't even thought to wear warmer clothes save his regular fur collared jacket. But Zell was now clad in a pair of baggy jeans which just looked like a longer version of his seemingly favorite pair of shorts and his skin tight black shirt replaced with a thin but durable looking sweat shirt with his gloved hands carrying two more plastic cups no doubt filled with the same orange liquid Squall didn't really want anymore of.

Zell flashed a toothy grin when he realized Squall had spotted him and dusted some stray leaves out of the way so he could sit next to his friend.

All Squall did was stare.

The blonde brushed the look off and sat back against the tree and turned his baby blue eyes toward Squall, pushing one of the cups to him. Squall followed Zell's gaze as they both looked down at the steaming cup, to his surprise his nose wasn't assaulted by the sharp spiciness of cinnamon but the sweet smell of chocolate and realized that Zell had brought him hot chocolate instead of more of the offending orange liquid.

Three marshmallows sat a top the swirling chocolate pool and the brunettes gaze kept shifting from the slowly melting sugar to Zell's sparkling blue eyes. No matter how well he thought he knew the blonde boy things like this would always surprise him...Zell's knowledge of one of his favorite drinks was…unexpected.

"I thought you might like this a little better, after seeing the way you wrinkled your nose at that last cup." The tattooed blonde finally spoke never fully taking his blue gaze off Squall.

The stoic boy finally wrapped his hand around the cup and let the new aroma fill the air around him.

"Thanks…" was Squall's simple reply.

"No problem," the martial artist took a sip of his own drink and went to stand up pushing off the tree without a second thought. That is until he felt Squall's warm hand catch his own gloved one.

He wasn't expecting that.

Zell paused for a second not knowing what to say.

"Squall…?"

"Don't go just yet Zell; I want to talk to you." Squall's voice wavered a little bit and Zell couldn't help but wonder what had gotten into his friend.

"About what?" The blonde boy asked letting his thought slip into audible words.

"Why don't you tell me…" Squall took a sip of the liquid chocolate sitting by his lap.

"What?" Zell raised his voice in confusion. Had his incessant picking at Squall recently been that obvious…well then again subtlety wasn't one of his better skills.

The tattooed boy gulped down the nervous lump in his throat that had formed the instant the question had escaped Squall's lips.

'Don't play dumb Zell, you know what I mean." Another sip of hot chocolate and a flutter of stormy blue eyes.

Zell suddenly gulped down his own drink, inwardly wincing as he burnt his tongue on the hot apple liquid.

Squall tried to ignore the odd behavior his friend was displaying but couldn't brush it aside as merely a frustrated Zell. What exactly had gotten the hyperactive boy so worked up…and suddenly it hit Squall when he saw the faint blush on Zell's and the nervous grin plastered on his face, two signs he was sure he could read from anyone.

Did Zell have feelings for him?

The question made Squalls heart clench in his chest. When had all this come about? Had he really been that dead to the world that he hadn't even registered Zell's obvious displays of affection.

Squall had contemplated his own feelings for awhile now and had come to the conclusion that the blonde meant more to him then just a friend or even a best friend. And for the first time it seemed like his heart and his head agreed. He loved the older boy.

The brunette felt his own blush creep on his face, however his eyes remained unreadable.

Anxiety lurched in Zell's stomach, just when had his feelings become so transparent. It was true that he had been digging into Squall for answers to his off the wall questions recently and the fact that most of them had to do with the younger boy's relationship with Rinoa and exactly what terms it had ended on but…still. He was just trying to find out exactly what his stoic friend thought about the girl and maybe just maybe if he dug down deep enough he could figure out just what Squall thought about him…but then again getting answers out of Squall Leonhart was not an easy task especially if he didn't want to share the information.

From the beginning of it all Zell had found himself oddly jealous of the raven haired girl and he hadn't known why, and just brushed it off as just him wanting their leader to open up to him...trust him most of all. But later when he had time to think about it all and place his confused feelings he noticed that all those feelings of jealousy had grown into hate for the girl, granted he never was fond of her in the first place but he managed to shove the minor annoyance away. After all it seemed like she was what Squall wanted; but as it turned out that hadn't been true at all. Squall now seemed to hold even greater resentment towards Rinoa then he did and it made him think, question his exact feelings for his friend.

The admiration he had felt for Squall all along had somewhere along the line had turned into love and before now he hadn't known how to deal with it hell maybe he still didn't but it was getting really hard to ignore the throb in his heart every time he thought about his idol. And why oh why did Squall have to be…well be himself. It made it painstakingly difficult to express his feelings. He was actually starting to think that just blurting it out would be the best course of action, but that like everything else the boy had thought of was easier said then done.

After a long drawn out sigh it was Zell who finally broke the silence between them.

'I don't know…I guess I just wanted to know some stuff about you…you know me." The chocobo haired youth laughed nervously placing one of his fingers in his cider swirling the specks of cinnamon in the drink.

"Nervous about something?" Squall asked as the blonde pulled his finger from the drink putting it in his mouth to get rid of the excess liquid.

Obviously the boy had no idea how incredibly sexy that small action had been, nor did he know what thoughts had sprung forth in the younger boy's mind.

Zell grinned and replied sheepishly.

'I guess you could say that."

The boy heard a sudden crunch of leaves as Squall shifted his position, setting his cup of hot cocoa down next to him and moving a bit closer to Zell who could feel Squall's body heat migrate towards him. Zell's heart felt like it was about to leap out of his chest at any moment and he wouldn't be surprised if the brunette heard it pounding against his rib cage.

Zell slowly mocked the brunette's action and placed his cup to the side as well and turned his innocent blue eyes up to Squall confusion whirling in their blue depths. Apparently Zell hadn't seen the slight smirk that was tugging at his idols lips either.

Squall lifted a calloused hand and placed it on Zell's shoulder making sure to get his complete attention.

"Squall…what...?" The boy never really had time to complete the question because Squall's lips had crashed against his own so fast his head would've spun if he hadn't already been enveloped in Squall's warmth.

Zell moaned into the soft kiss and let out a shiver as both of the younger boy hands found there way to his back griping him tight in there embrace. Squall's tongue rolled along the blondes bottom lip, hesitantly asking for entrance into the sweet cavern of Zell's mouth. The boy immediately accepted, thrusting his tongue into the brunettes as soon as he could, both tongues swirling against each other in the heat of the moment.

Their kiss was a mix of love and lust…the taste a mix of sweet and spicy, chocolate and cinnamon. Squall's tongue massaged Zell's as the older boy mewed slightly into the now passionate kiss, finally letting his hands trail up the blonde boys back.

The blonde licked at the brunette's lips one more time before he hesitantly pulled away, his blue eyes searching that stormy ocean for anything. Zell was surprised…the searing indifference was gone for at least a moment and replaced with a somewhat confused gaze. Squall's hand cupped Zell's face and touched their lips together again letting everything but the two of them melt away.


End file.
